Kražių benediktinių vienuolyno dailė

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Architektūra; Bažnytinė dailė; Benediktinių vienuolynas; Benediktinės; Ikonografija; Katalikų bažnyčia; Kražiai; Maironys; Religinė dailė; Skulptūra; Tapyba; Architecture; Benedictine; Benedictine abbey; Catholic Church; Iconography; Kražiai; Maironys; Painting; Religious art; Sacral art; Sculpture.

ENThe history of the Benedictine abbey of Kražiai began in 1642 when Benedictine sisters arrived here from Vilnius. This was possible thanks to the will and efforts of the nobleman Chrizostom Wołłodkiewicz and of the bishop of Samogitia Jerzi Tyszkiewicz. The Abbey was closed in 1892, and the same faith awaited the church one year later. Various properties of the churches were moved to St. Michael parish church in Kražiai, to the Blessed Virgin church in Saudininkai (nowadays Maironiai), and to other places. Part of the property was just plundered. Our research is based on the reconstruction of old Kražiai Benedictines church interiors, the identification of the iconographical subjects realized there, and their development during 17th to 20th centuries. The final part the research analyses some Benedictine objects, which are now preserved in Maironiai. The first church of Kražiai was equipped, during the period 1642–1677, with four altars. In this altars, it is possible to identify the development of three main subjects: firstly, the Blessed Virgins theme; secondly, the theme of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica, who are the founders of the order; thirdly, saints which are not connected with Benedictines and specifically St. Michael and St. Ann. These themes show that the Benedictines of Kražiai were more receptive and open to general devotions in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania rather than to specific Benedictines subjects. The second church (1762–1826) was equipped with five altars. In the main altar, nuns emphasized the aspect of the Blessed Virgin’s Immaculate Conception and strengthened Bthe enedictine theme part. Furthermore, there was new theme of Jesus added in two side altars and one in the chapel of St. Rock. There was still one side altar left to St. Ann. Benedictines of Kražiai built the second church on their own initiative.Consequently, a more consistent iconographical program was developed dealing with more specific Benedictine devotions and the tradition of the order. The new function of the churches determined radical changes in the iconographical and stylistic programs in 1908. When the monastery church became a parish church, an obvious tendency to use various images more relevant to parishioners developed. Accordingly, collections of new images did not aim at creating a more purposeful, homogeneous and continuous iconographical and stylistic program. Today only the main altar painting reminds us that this church once was a Benedictines property. The altars of Trakai Mother of God and St. Anne, the Epiphany altar painting and the sculpture of Jesus of Nazareth were transferred to Saudininkai church after the closure of the monastery. The stylistic analysis of the main altar of the Mother of God and St. Ann side altars made clear that only their lower parts originate from Kražiai while higher parts were lately added in Saudininkai. Abstract ornamental structures show that the older parts were probably realized at the turn of 17th and 18th centuries. In this case it is clear that the altars installed in the first church in the middle of the 17th century were substituted by new altars at the turn of centuries and, at a later stage, transferred to the brick church. [From the publication]